What is the Second Thing You Want on an Amazon Book Launch After Hitting #1

 

 

Once you hit #1 in a subcategory on Amazon, what is the next thing you want to achieve?

 

While many authors gave good answers to this question on the private forum, no one came up with what I was looking for. Once you hit #1 or rank very high in a subcategory, assuming you also have that subcategory as one of your search words (and you better if you don’t), you want your book to appear on the first page of Amazon’s search results for your book’s subcategory. That’s how buyers find your book when they have never heard of you or your book!

For example, in three years, I have never been able to get Children of Dreams to come up in Amazon’s search engine for “adoption” books—I gave up because it was so far down in the pile, I got tired of going to the next page looking for it.

I am now on the fifth page of Amazon’s “adoption” search. My goal is to get to the first page. Who will make it to the fifth page looking for a good book to read? I still have a ways to go to reach that goal. That’s out of almost 3,000 books. If I search for “adoption books,” another one of my search words, I come up on the second page of about 600 books.

Even though I hit #1 in “adoption” and “mother” books, because Children of Dreams didn’t rank for a LONG TIME in any subcategories, I need it to rank higher for a little longer to get Amazon to list it on the first or second page of a search for “adoption” books.

Children of Dreams has been out three years and after the first year, I didn’t do anything with it. I was working on my Master of Arts in Creative Writing and building the network and writing other books. A few months ago I decided to do a more professional book cover. This was a “test” to see if I could bring back an old book. When Children of Dreams was originally published, there was no Kindle market because few people owned Kindles. There was no KDP Select – there really wasn’t anything except the print version of books. All the original book launches launched printed books.

So I decided to launch Children of Dreams – a three-year-old book. I got to #1 in “adoption” books and “mothering” books, which translated into about 350 book sales in about four days. 

That’s better than I did with print books. I have never been able to sell many print books on Amazon.

So, to summarize, what you really want after a launch is for your book to be found in Amazon’s search engines by people looking for books in your genre. Because I haven’t quite achieved that yet, I am going to market Children of Dreams heavily for one more month. It’s the time element that plays into it—how long it’s ranked high in a subcategory.

For example Seventh Dimension – The Door  has remained consistently in the top 100 books for Christian fantasy ever since my launch in April. There are over 5,000 books in Christian fantasy, For a while it was the number one listing for Christian fantasy book searches, and it wasn’t just on my computer. A friend of mine who is an I.T. specialist did a Christian fantasy search of my book on his iPhone and The Door came up #1. Now it’s #4 because the ranking has dropped a bit. I need to do some advertising to pump it back up. Of course, then you need to know where to advertise. I have some good advice I will share about that if you do a book launch.

The day Emma advertised on one particular site that I recommended, Keeper of Reign hit #2 in Christian fantasy. I would imagine she hit #1 this week because of the blog tours she is doing.

I am not talking about big bucks to have a successful launch. I spent a total of about $300 on my launch. Emma, I think, spent a bit more, but it’s not like the thousands I spent when Children of Dreams first came out and I hired a publicist, did some traveling out of state for TV appearances, and was hosted on several radio shows. With all of that time and expense, I sold practically no books. That soured me on spending a lot of money on book launches. The social networking works with Twitter, Facebook, blog tours, and Google Plus, and then placing your book on some smaller, less expensive advertising sites can really pay off. Some of those web niches have very dedicated followers.

I am hoping BookBub will feature my book next month. It’s on the pricy side, $280 for a listing – but they only take a few books and they have statistics to justify their prices. They turned Children of Dreams down for August for adoption books but told me to resubmit for September in the inspirational category. I just did that tonight. They would not accept my Seventh Dimension – The Door book with all the good reviews and awards – so it is HARD to get BookBub to list your book.

If they accept Children of Dreams for September, I expect my ranking to be high on Amazon. I also have a few other things I am doing that I didn’t have time to do in August—mainly because I still hope to get on the first page of the Amazon search engines for "adoption" books. That is the best advertising there is– people searching for books similar to what you write, and then Amazon sends buyers to your book. Amazon wants to make money, so they won’t send customers your way if you haven’t sold many books in the last few months.

Emma’s book Keeper of Reign is listed as #9 in Christian fantasy on an Amazon search. If she stays in the top 100 for a while, Amazon will send buyers to her book. Eventually you want the advertising to carry itself – without you propping it up or spending more money. It has happened with other books in the network, like Bob Saffrin’s books and The Glimpse. We have had many successful launches. 

Hopefully these ramblings on my launch this last month will be helpful. Comments and revelations on what has worked for you are welcome.

 

. 

 

 

 

 

 

A Taste of Friday: Emma Right, Keeper of Reign

Emma, is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 


I want to empower young readers with the message, that if they seek the truth (the Ancient Books in Keeper of Reign) they will find wisdom and answers to life's problems. It doesn't mean the answers are going to come easy, but persistence will pay off. So seek wisdom and it will help each person to live triumphantly; in essence, to reign in life.

Watch the trailer:

Here are three short excerpts from Keeper of Reign:

Excerpt 1:

Jules said, “We need a plan. Let’s check what’s missing.” He rushed to the hearth and pried the loose brick to the side. He reached his arm deep and thought he felt the soft nap of the pouch but then he jerked his hand back out and sucked on his finger.” Ouch!” 

Ralston said, “We can’t afford to lose your pouch—maybe the only way to buy things if we have to look for Mom or Dad.” 

Jules glared at him. 

Ralston said, “What’s wrong?” 

Jules reached back into the hole, this time less enthusiastically. “Something sharp.” When he pulled it out he stared at the shard of glass in his hand. “Hold this, Rals.” 

Ralston held the sharp edge gingerly. “Is it yours?” 

“Would I put something sharp like that to cut myself up?” Jules then brought out his pouch, and sighed. He gave its contents a quick peek and slipped the soft pouch into his cloak pocket. 

“It’s a good thing the burglars missed that,” Ralston said. “Should we toss this?” He passed the shard to Jules who turned it over. 

“Some words here.” He read, “‘—ook within.’ What’s that mean?”

Excerpt 2

A blood-curdling scream pierced through the cold evening air and all five children jerked and stared at each other. The scream appeared to have come from the dark forest. Was someone in trouble? Or was it just some- one trying to scare them?

“Wh-–at was that?” Bitha grabbed Tippy’s hand and tugged at her, but the little girl, her face indignant, squirmed and pulled away.

“No–o!” A series of ear splitting protests came from Tippy and she shook her head vigorously. Her eyes, the rims red, locked with Jules. “I want the gem! It’s mine!”

Arms on her hips, Tst Tst said, in a sinister whisper, “If we don’t leave now, Gehzurolle will kill us!”

Tippy slumped her shoulders, let out a sob and opened her mouth as if wanting to protest but at the last minute she only stepped aside. “All wight!”

“We’ll give the stone another try. Ralston, you wedge it with that stick and I’ll pull.” Jules glanced at the sky and thought he saw a dark blob in the blue far away. Must get away quickly. The meadow is too bare for a good hiding spot.

Nausea swelled up from the pit of his stomach and a shiver crept up his back. The last time he had such a feeling was right before his grandpa left on that trip. “Rals, hurry! Pull!”

Excerpt 3:

In the yonder forest, perched on a cypress, Whisperer watched the group with what could qualify as disappointment on his crooked face with his crooked lips. His efforts had failed. This sort of fowl tactics worked umpteen times before when his master ordered him on some mission.

Now he considered other prongs of attacks. The ifs and what-ifs, the whisperings, he could float in the wind. Whisperings that wafted down and instilled fear to all who heard him. This was one assignment he could not afford to blunder. Too much was at stake.

He debated over his options, his heavily lidded eyes darting from tree to tree. For a second he determined to strike the bumbling boy again, but he decided against this. He would wait for Beta and re-evaluate the problem with the latest update.

Whisperer pursed his crooked lips, his breath a gray tube of smoke that swirled toward its goal: the clouds. First softly, then more intensely, he blew. But his gaze never wavered from the struggling, lanky lad with his sister on his back.

Beta had better find that Book, or he would find a suitable punishment for the servant.

About the Author:

Emma Right is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after their five pets, which includes two cats, two bunnies and a Long-haired dachshund, she also writes stories for her children. She loves the Lord and His Word deeply, and when she doesn't have her nose in a book, she is telling her kids to get theirs in one.

Emma worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies and won several awards, including the prestigious Clio Award for her ads, before she settled down to have children.

Visit Emma Right at her home site and sign for her blog feed and newsletter and blog for tips and ideas about books, homeschooling, bible devotions, and author helps from self-publishing to book marketing. For the latest events. Follow Google Plus  and Twitter. She'd love to hear from her readers.

Buy the book:
 Amazon Link

Connect with Emma:

Website

Blog

Facebook Author page

Facebook Fan page

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Twitter

Amazon authorpage

…Shall We Accept Good from God, and Not Trouble

Excerpt from Children of Dreams

Guest Post by Lorilyn Roberts

…Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble…

Job 2:10

Back many years ago, my ex husband and I lived in Augusta, Georgia. He was in medical school at the Medical College of Augusta and I worked as a court reporter putting him through medical school. One morning on my way into work, there was a long line of cars backed up on Greene Street. Brown Court Reporting, Inc., the company I worked for, was at least several blocks down the road. People had turned off their engines and were meandering around on the road waiting.

I got out of my car and walked up the street to where some people were hanging out and asked, “What’s going on?”

The man said nonchalantly, “Apparently a dog got hit by a car.”

Being a dog lover, my heart welled up as I wondered how badly the dog was hurt, who he belonged to, and if he would be okay, but the man didn’t know anything more.

I waited a few more minutes, not sure what to do. When it didn’t look as though things would clear out any time in the immediate future, I turned around and went a different way to the office.

But throughout the morning, I kept thinking about the little dog that had been hit by a car. I wanted to know more. I walked downstairs and started checking around with some of the people in other offices on the street to find out if anybody knew what had happened. Someone told me they thought he had been transported to a local veterinarian. I scoured around and found the vet to which the poor little dog had been taken. I called to inquire.

“No,” said the person on the other end. “The owner hasn’t been located.” They didn’t know who she belonged to, but she needed immediate medical attention or she would die. Her leg had been badly injured and needed to be amputated.

“How much would that cost?” I asked.

“About $200,” the woman replied.

That was a lot of money back in those days, but now that I had involved myself this much, how could I hang up the phone and not help.”

“Okay,” I told her. “I will pay the $200 for the surgery if she will live.”

“Are you sure?” She asked me. “It’s not your dog.”

I was sure. My only worry was how I would explain it to my husband and what would I do with Fifi after the surgery. I knew he wouldn’t want another dog.

We already had a little dog, Shelley. She was a stray who showed up on our back porch in Atlanta one day a few months after we were married. Not that much different from my childhood dog, Gypsy, who had walked into the house one evening with my dad when he returned home from buying milk. I wasn’t sure if the two would get along. Shelley had never had to share us.”

“When can I come by and meet her?” I asked.

“Why don’t you wait till later this afternoon after the surgery?”

I spent the rest of the day imagining what the little dog looked like and how I would explain to my husband that I had rescued a dog from certain death, that the dog was an amputee, and I had paid $200 for surgery on a dog I had never met.

Finally the veterinarian’s office called and said the surgery had been successful. Fifi’s leg had been amputated without complications. I could come see her but they wanted her to remain overnight for a couple of days until she was well enough for me to take her home.

“Have you heard from anybody claiming to be her owner?” I asked hopefully?

“No,” she said. “We don’t know who she belongs to.”

Late that afternoon, I dropped by the animal hospital on the way home from work. I told them who I was, and they were glad to meet me. I gave them the check for $200 and thanked them for taking care of Fifi.

“Do you want to see her?” The tech asked me. “She is in recovery.”

“Sure,” I said.”

They took me to an adjoining room and I poked my head in the door. Before me was a scroungy looking tan and white terrier, with large floppy ears and strands of hair covering her closed eyelids. Fifi aptly described her, a hurt, orphaned dog in need of love and a home. She lay curled up in a little ball with one huge bandage where her back right leg used to be.

I left the vet’s office with mixed emotions. I was glad I was able to save her life and give her a home, but I was wondering when I got home how I would explain it to my husband.

“You did what?” He asked me, as I was about halfway through my prepared speech, when he realized I had something more important to talk about than just the weather.

I tried to justify everything I said, saying we would find a home for Fifi and I didn’t plan on keeping her. Of course, he knew me better than that, but by the time we went to bed that night, he had acquiesced and given a half hearted yes to the new addition to the family, provided that Fifi and Shelley got along okay, which I was more than willing to accept. I would make sure of that.

Two days passed and we were able to bring Fifi home. We made her a bed and slowly introduced her to Shelley, just a few minutes at a time, several times throughout the evening. At night we crated her to keep her safe. Fifi was still wearing a wrap where her leg used to be and was still hobbling around getting used to having only three legs. After a few days we settled into a routine. I was elated that things were working out. Even my husband had quit complaining about the extra work involved.

A couple of nights later, the phone rang. It was the veterinarian’s office.

“We wanted to ask you a personal question,” the woman said.

“Okay,” I said, not sure where this was going.

“We just wanted to know how things were working out with Fifi.”

“They are working out fine,” I replied. “Fifi is starting to get along well with Shelley.”

“Why do you ask?” I wondered. “Did you find the owner?” Not really wanting to know.

“Oh, no,” she said. “It’s just that we had a client in today with his sick dog that passed away. There was nothing we could do for him. It’s just a strange coincidence that Fifi looked like their dog. The old man is heartbroken,” she went on, “and we thought if things hadn’t worked out well, maybe you would be willing to let him have Fifi.”

“We could meet and talk,” I offered, “and see what happens.” After I hung up the phone, I wondered if she had told him that Fifi only had three legs. Not everybody would want a three legged animal.

The old man called me the next day and I promised to come home early from work to meet him. By this time, I wasn’t sure I could let Fifi go. She had become a part of our family.

I arrived home and waited. A short while later a car pulled up in the driveway. I walked outside to greet the old man. As I watched him exit the car, I noticed something different that forced me to do a double take. He had a cane. He put the cane out to steady himself and then dragged his bad leg behind him, pulling himself out of the car with a great deal of effort. The man was a cripple.

How could I ever doubt God’s providential hand? I was only the keeper of Fifi until her new master picked her up—someone that could understand what it was like to have three legs. Fifi’s story would live on as a testimony to God becoming a man, fully human and fully God, but one who understands our hurts and weaknesses.

For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning (Hebrews 4:15).

……………

Children of Dreams is being showcased by the John 3:16 Marketing Network as part of their August Book Launch Event. Be sure to visit http://bit.ly/Christian_Books for a chance to win a Kindle, a $25 gift card and a $10 Starbucks card, as well as purchase Children of Dreams.

Lorilyn Roberts is a Christian author who writes children's picture books, adult nonfiction, memoirs, and a young adult Christian fantasy series, Seventh Dimension.

Lorilyn graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama, which included international study in Israel and England. She received her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College and is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature.

Lorilyn is the founder of the John 316 Marketing Network, a network of Christian authors who are passionate about promoting books with a Christian worldview.

To learn more about Lorilyn, please visit her website at http://lorilynroberts.com or blog at http://lorilynroberts.blogspot.com. You can follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/lorilynroberts

NEW! Dennis Snyder begins a TASTE OF FRIDAY with PERSONAL VENGEANCE

Welcome to the first day of our newest venture: A Taste of Friday, first chapters of what will hopefully become some of your favorite authors.

 

 

Due to the success of our first Taste and See: a Sampling of First Chapters book, Lorilyn and the gang are putting together a second edition for Christmas, 2013. For a sample, enjoy a few "First Chapters" each Friday here on the blog, starting with our own Dennis Snyder.

 

 

Personal Vengeance, Volume one of the Lake Haven Murders series,

Dennis Snyder, Concerning Life Publishing, September 17, 2012

 

Chapter One

 

Pastor Mike McIntyre turned onto Jackson Street and swerved to avoid the emergency vehicles blocking the road. Parking his motorcycle, he headed over to a police officer attempting to control the gathering crowd.  “Hi officer, I'm Pastor McIntrye from the Gospel Chapel. Can I offer any spiritual help?”

The police officer nodded and pointed“ Go see Detective Oakes over there.”

As Pastor Mike closed in on Detective Jim Oakes, he caught the stench of stale beer and smoke on his brown sport coat. Sticking out his hand, Mike quickly introduced himself to the clean shaved, sandy haired cop and asked if he could be of any service. It was obvious to Mike, from the once over he was given by the Detective, that he did not meet Oakes' idea of a pastor.

“What church did you say you were with?”

“The Gospel Chapel, over on First Street, right across from the elementary school. What happened?”

”Some lady backed into a parked motorcycle that belonged to a member of the Sons of Lucifer Motorcycle gang.” After lighting his cigarette he continued, “Five of them got carried away and savagely beat her. We're not sure she's going to make it. The ambulance should be here any time. Could you go over and see what you can do for her?”

“No problem.” said Mike

As he turned toward the scene, Detective Oakes grabbed his arm and said, “Her face is so severely beaten the nose is broken, teeth have been knocked out and her jaw is in pieces.  She is not able to talk and it is a bloody mess. The five gang members fled taking her wallet with them and we haven't been able to identify her.”

Pastor Mike removed his leather jacket before he knelt down to comfort and pray with the victim. It was hard to look at the woman's bloody and distorted face so he looked square in her eyes. As the beaten woman looked back, shivers ran up his back and terror struck his heart. Before Pastor Mike could get his composure the EMTs shoved him out of the way. Within minutes they had her loaded into the ambulance and were headed toward the hospital. Still in shock, he stared at the ambulance as it raced off. After what seemed like an eternity, reality sunk in when Detective Oakes handed the pastor's jacket to him and asked, “Were you able to give her any comfort?”

“That's my wife!” said Pastor Mike grabbing his jacket. “I need to get to the hospital.”

Before Oakes could say anything, Pastor Mike was strapping on his helmet and mounting his bike. Racing to the hospital weaving in and out of traffic the pastor's mind also raced as he thought of life without his beautiful wife of fifteen years. He knew that they did not have the perfect marriage but it was close. They had worked hard to keep God first in their lives. They spent many hours counseling couples on what a biblical marriage was all about and they did their best to apply the Word of God in their own relationship. No way would God take Pam away yet! They still had years of life and ministry together.

Mike was familiar with the hospital having spent hours with others ministering to their needs. He rushed directly to the emergency room just behind the ambulance carrying the woman of his dreams. He stood to the side as the doctors and nurses attended to his wife. No one asked him to wait outside. He was a familiar face to most of these men and women who worked in the ER. They had seen him many times with moist eyes and a comforting arm around a loved one as he silently prayed for them. One nurse even remarked to the ER doctor, “It looks like Pastor Mike beat the family here.”

The doctor seemed to ignore her as he placed his stethoscope on Pam's chest and yelled, “We need to get her to the operating room, stat!” The ER emptied quickly as they wheeled Pam into the elevator to the third floor leaving him standing alone. After a few minutes Mike turned and walked to the surgery waiting room. He informed the volunteer why he was there and that he would be down the hall in the hospital chapel.

“I'll call the hospital chaplain to meet you.” the volunteer said.

Mike knew no one would come; he was the chaplain on call.

The blue green of the stained glass behind the cross shimmered from the dim light of candles burning on the table to the right of the altar. The four pews were empty amplifying the hollow sound of his footsteps in the chapel.

 

One hour earlier...

 

“Hi honey, how's work going?” Pam said.

“Hey Babe, it's going well, I almost have my Sunday outline ready and will be fleshing it out later today. How about your day?”

“Not so good. Mary lost the baby and I just left her house. It brought back a lot of memories that I need to address.”

“I'll meet you in an hour Babe. How about lunch at JW's on Jackson Street? The rain has dried up and the sun is out so why don't I bring the bike?  We can go for a good ride and cry after we eat.”

“Ok Mike, but we will have to talk about the baby again.”

“I know Babe; I will see you at noon. Love ya.”

“I love you too. Bye,” as Pam hung up the phone she felt her car back into something.

Mike kicked back in his chair as he wiped his tears. He and Pam had lost their only child in her second trimester over five years ago. Their hearts still ached with the loss and they could empathize with others. He knew that they would gain strength as they focused on God's Word and His promises. Pam's favorite place to pray was on the back of the Harley Fatboy with the wind in her face.

 

Back at the Chapel…

 

Pastor Mike knelt at the Altar. “Our Gracious, Heavenly Father, Almighty God, I am at a loss for words this time. It's Pam. She's in bad shape. She may not make it Lord, if you don't intervene.” The pastor wept uncontrollably as he thought about losing his wife. “God, if you will spare her I will do anything you ask, I will go anywhere you want me to go. Just don't let her die. You know that she's my life. Where would I be without her?  Lord, please I beg of you…”

Just then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw the doctor and the look in his eyes . . .

###

 

 

 

Dennis Snyder, author of the Lake Haven Murders and Struggle for Sovereignty series, makes his home in Michigan. He enjoys riding his Harley, golfing and spending time with his wife.

 

He is also the author of Yellow Rose of Texas.



Two Great Books Being Showcased by John 3:16 Marketing Network Authors for August 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

More Great Writing Tips from Jerry Jenkins

 

 

 

Don’t ever apologize for…

…wanting to be published. You’d be amazed at how often I hear from would-be writers who say they just want to write for the sake of writing. “I don’t care if it gets published.” Then why not just talk?

Get your work out there. Sure, a certain amount of ego is at play. Who doesn’t want to be known, to be successful, to see her name in print? You simply need to remember that publishing has to be a byproduct of your writing, not the end goal.

If you set out to glamorize yourself, write a bestseller, score, whatever you call it, you might enjoy a short-lived celebrity, but you won’t have a career. As Dean Koontz has taught, the purpose of writing is communication, and if what we write is not read, that purpose is not fulfilled.

The most attractive quality in a person is humility. Sometimes money and fame will come whether or not you expect or seek them. But if you become enamored with the trappings of success, they become your passion. You need to return to your first love.

Why are you a writer?

Are you an inspirational writer?

The answers to those questions should have nothing to do with yourself. If God and others are not the reasons you write, you might as well write solely for the general market.

That doesn’t mean everything you write has to be a sermon or packed with scripture, but your unique worldview should come through. 

As working writers, we should be always sending out proposals – or coming up with new proposals to pitch. Never write to Dear Sir or To Whom It May Concern. Find and write directly to the appropriate person by name. Then, here are my top tips for query letters and proposals.

1. Avoid mannerisms and multiple fonts in your emails to editors. This is akin to the old snail mail taboo of using colored paper as stationery. Editors seem to universally see this as a sign of an amateur.

2. Do not use bold or LARGER-THAN-NORMAL type anywhere in an email, proposal, query, or manuscript.

3. Your title must be positive. Not "Don't Let Depression Defeat You," but rather: "Winning Over Depression."

4. A manuscript, even transmitted electronically, must should be double-spaced (not single- or triple-spaced, or spaced at the 1.5 setting). Fix the default Word setting that calls for extra space between paragraphs. Indent paragraphs and remember, unlike how we learned to type business letters, only one space between sentences.

5. If the publisher asks for hard copy (rare these days), your manuscript should never be bound, stapled, clipped, or in a notebook. Editors want the pages in a stack, loose, with each page numbered and carrying the author's name.

6. The word "by" rarely appears on the cover of a book unless it is self-published, and even then it is the sign of an amateur.

7. The misspelling of the word "acknowledgments" (as "acknowledgements", a British variation) or "foreword" (as "forward") is another clue that you're an amateur. "Foreword" means "before the text"; it consists of "fore" and "word", and has nothing to do with direction.

8. Your manuscript should not have justified right margins. Use ragged right margins, the kind that makes your manuscript appear to have been typed rather than computer generated. Justified margins cause inconsistent spacing between words, which make for difficult reading for overworked editors and will also require tedious reformatting.

9. A common cliché in inspirational books is to include prayers in prefatory material. Even paraphrasing those to say, "My prayer is that God would…" is better than, "Lord, I pray…", but avoid either in the dedication or acknowledgments ("Lord, thank you for my wonderful editor…" Blech!).

10. You've heard the slogan "Just do it." Now learn to "Just say it." Imagine telling your story to a friend over coffee or writing a letter. Good writing is not about loads of adjectives and adverbs. It consists of powerful nouns and verbs. So many beginners fall into an overwrought style editors call "writtenese." Your relatives may love your flowery language, and perhaps your unpublished creative writing teacher does too, but read what sells. Usually you'll find it simple and straightforward. 

 

***

 

 

 

Author of more than 180 books with sales of more than 70 million copies, including the best-selling Left Behind series, Jerry B. Jenkins is former vice president for publishing and currently chairman of the board of trustees for the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago.

 

Jerry's writing has appeared in Time, Reader's Digest, Parade, Guideposts, and dozens of Christian periodicals. Twenty of his books have reached The New York Times best-seller list (seven debuting number one). The Breakthrough, the final book in Jerry's Precinct 11 trilogy, released from Tyndale House Publishers in September 2012.

 

Jerry owns Jenkins Entertainment, a filmmaking company in Chicago, and the Christian Writers Guild, which aims to train tomorrow's professional Christian writers. Each student is personally mentored by a seasoned professional.

 

In January 2013, Jerry launched Christian Writers Guild Publishing (CWGP). Students take a six-month mentored course to guide them in writing their manuscripts, then CWGP publishes their books.

 

www.Jerry-Jenkins.com
www.ChristianWritersGuild.com



 

 

Avoid these Common Errors in Writing

Common Errors in Writing

As an editor for the past several years, I see a lot of things in writing that needs to be fixed. That's what you hire an editor for. Everyone needs an editor--especially the editor. One of my own most common mistakes is skipping a word when I write. My brain fills it in for me, and no matter how many times I "proofread" I will never catch it just by skimming over my work, sometimes even when I read it back aloud.



You can help yourself and your editor by watching for and avoiding these most common errors.

 

Pronoun Agreement

English has pirated the best words from Latin and Greek, Indo-European, and Aboriginal languages; however, we are crippled by lack of pronouns. We have only male, female, gender-neutral plural, gender-neutral singular, which generally refers to inanimate objects. Singular and plural in the same sentence or paragraph must agree.

 

He/him

She/her

They/them
      Direct address: You; modified only with a contraction/verb (you'd, you'll, you're), never pluralized occasionally, "one" is used as a gender neutral address, but it is awkward at best

It

 

Words like Everyone, Everybody, need to be followed up with singular pronouns, since “body” and “one” are singular usages, not plural. You can use “We all” or “All of them” to match plural pronouns they/them.

 

Everyone made it on time to his or her appointment.

They all made it on time to their appointments.

 

Possessives/Plurals/Contractions

To show possession, EXCEPT WITH GENDER NEUTRAL IT OR YEARS, use an apostrophe.

Carl’s dog has lived with him at the Reader’s house since 1995.

That old dog, born in the 1990s, has lived with the Readers. It’s had all its required shots.

Plural possession will have the comma after the “s.” In my parents’ house, the dog is kept out of the kitchen.

 

Plural: Simple plurals never need an apostrophe

Carl once had three dogs at the same time. The Readers did not like that.

 

In Contractions (it is=it’s, they are=they’re, he will=he’ll) an apostrophe replaces a letter. If you cannot divide the word back to its original two words, do not use an apostrophe.

It has had all of its shots.

 

Commas & Dialog marks

Commas should and always are meant to ease reading, according to the Chicago Manual of Style. There are some rules, but personal style and judgment can be considered; it’s becoming common to use fewer, as long as usage is consistent.

In general, commas are used to introduce something, such as the subject of the sentence (Therefore, / On the other hand, ), or dialogue (Grandma said, “I remember…); or to set off a parenthetical phrase (something you would be able to put in parentheses like this one); to separate items in a list, often but not always to identify an appositive (my brother, Rico, said… Although My brother Rico said... is equally correct--as long as there's no confusion about whom you're referring to); to set off restrictive and non-restrictive relative clauses—and that’s one you can use your best judgment on and let the editor figure it out.

 
American English uses a double quote to set off dialogue; periods, commas, question marks and exclamation points will 99% of the time be inside the quotation marks. Queen’s and other European styles do the opposite. Where is your book going to be marketed and sold the most? Use that version.

 

Using the wrong word

Spell-check on your word processing program is good for a quick check, but must never be relied upon, as it finds and fixes general spelling errors, but cannot always judge whether you’ve used the correct word.

From/form

There/their/they’re

 

Consistency

Words like toward/towards.

They’re both correct, but authors need to choose one version and use it consistently throughout the manuscript. Use a global search for this word to see all instances of the word in the manuscript and make sure they’re all the same. Spell out the name of a place and make sure it’s the same, such as Mount/ Mt., or an abbreviation for a title, such as Doctor/ Dr.

 

Reading your work out loud--no cheating-- is your best initial defense.

Fearless Friday with Rose Chandler Johnson!

Meet Rose Chandler Johnson

Twitter: @rechanjo

Facebook 

Blog:  Write Moments with God

 

Rose Chandler Johnson, a Southern girl from a tiny Georgia town, is the author of the popular devotional blog, Write Moments with God. In spite of years of disappointments and overwhelming obstacles, she has grown in her relationship with the Lord and learned how to find Him in the midst of everyday moments. A devoted Christian and mother of six, she has been a French and English teacher over the last twenty years. She likes to take walks, garden, read, and bake.   

 

 

God, Me, and Sweet Iced Tea:  Experiencing God in the Midst of Everyday Moments 

Published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas 

 ISBN 978-1-938499-86-9

 

Rose Johnson’s devotional offers the reader sweet balm and encouragement through wise and thoughtful reflections on God’s grace and provision in the midst of all life can throw at us. Use it as a wonderful way to start the day off right with God’s Word and friendly counsel from a woman whose soul knows. ~ Elizabeth Musser, award winning Christian writer and author of The Swan House

Through honesty and compassion, Rose lets us see into her life and heart so that we can also examine our own heart. As I read these devotions I was sometimes comforted and other times challenged, but always I thought about the person God sees when He sees me. This devotional is simple enough for the newest believer or even someone not sure about God but deep enough to make a life-long Christian feel challenged to go higher. This is a wonderful book and I am thrilled to encourage others to read it and share a copy with friends. ~ Tiffany Colter, author, writer, speaker, writing coach, and mom.

Available from Amazon

Available in print from your local bookstore, online, or from the publisher at:  www.lighthousepublishingofthecarolinas.com

Your unique talent:  Je parle francais!  I speak French.

Rose, share something not many people know about you: Once I was mugged in Paris, but I held onto my money.  A little French lady intervened.  I got through it with only a bruise on my hip and a broken fingernail.

 

Are you a “pet person” or prefer no pets?  Once, I had my own little dog, which I adored, and I’d ride around with her in my bicycle basket.  Then I had twins, followed by four more children.  Even though we’ve had a half dozen pets over the years, I’d prefer none.

Would you rather travel or stay at home?  Honestly, I’m a stay at home gal.  When I do travel, I love it, but most of the time I’m content to be home.

Do you read more or write more? I’m still reading more than writing.  It seems I’m always reading at least three books at once, and I have a stack waiting, but I do write some everyday.

Prefer cake or pie? Pound cake. 

Would, or do, ride a motorcycle or prefer to ride/drive a car? Just let me drive a car please.  Although, I’ve ridden a motorcycle many times in my younger days, I don’t think you could get me on one now. 

 

Bus or taxi or walk? Walk if I can; taxi if it’s from the airport; bus if it’s a daytrip to Chartre or Giverny J

Are you part of a big church congregation or a small church? Small church

Do you like to telephone people or prefer to use e-mail? Prefer email

Are you happy or joyful?  Joyful

Do you eat at home or eat out?  Eat at home most of the time; I’m a good cook.  I enjoy eating out occasionally as well.

Listen to music or prefer quiet? Prefer quiet most of the time

 

Prefer sunrises or sunsets? Love sunrises, trees, flowers, and all God’s beautiful creation.

Thanks so much for stopping in, Rose, and blessings upon all your work.